"Ex-Free Range" Hens....

[iFairyx]

Hi all,

So I thought I'd share some photos of my new additions.

Since battery farms are illegal in England now (yay), farms have either moved to "barn" farms or "free range" or have simply
stopped egg farming. Great news, so I thought.

On Saturday I went to collect some ex-free range hens, and after seeing the state of my old ex-batts I was expecting them
to look much healther and happier.

This is what I found.......







On top of this, some of their combs were white, completely white!

 

[mnferalkitty]

Do they have worms or mites to look like that?

 

[iFairyx]

Nope, no mites and I assume they don't have worms as it was a commercial farm they came from - although they will be given a wormed in a week
or so as my main flock are due then.

 

[donrae]

What are the regulations to define free range in England? I know here in the States it's something dumb like they have to have access to the outdoors. So, a small pop door to a tiny dirt yard constitutes free range here.

 

[partsRheavy]

Looks like they're getting picked on from being overcrowded. The first pic looks like a broody spot but the other two look like they've been picked on.